carpenter



R. W. CARPENTER, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

L'cttersPatent No.- 76,159, dated Marcltl, 1868.

GOUPLERS FOR ORGANS, che.

tite ftetule referat tu in tten; tettms ttmt mit mating part tf tige sans.

4To ALL WHOM I 'r MAY CON-CERN:

Be it known that I, R. W. CARPENTER, of Chicago, -in the county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement iu Couplers fcriReed and Pipe Musical Instruments and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. n

A My invention relates to an improved form of coupler for reed and Apipe organs, by which a ,great economy of room in thc instrument and facility of construction are-effected; and it consists in making the coupler of a 'single rod acting as a simple lcvcr; and second, in the peculiar form to which said rod is bent so as to secure perfect action without interference with each other'. It may be attached to organs or melodeons having a single b'ank of keys, and like ordinary couplers it opens the Anote an octave above the one fingered.

` In order that others may understand the construction and operation of'my coupler, I will proceed to particularly describe it. Y'

A, iig. 1, represents the reed`board of the instrument, having one, two, or more sets of reeds operated by a single valve, V, and tracker-pin, b, in contact with the under side of the key B. These several parts being similarly made to like parts in other instruments, need no description. The coupler C is made of one piece of stout wire, bent in such shape as shown in Figure 2, having one end, at a, hammered thin, and a. hole Vthrough it, in which the trucker-pin 5 is put-when the several parts are in their proper' position. It is made by being bent, (beginning with the en d a, having the hole in it, and keeping the-thin portion horizontal,) at about four inches from the end upward, then at about one-half inch from the first angle, bending to theleft, and continuing for about six inches, then upward, as before, for about one-half inch, then backward, parallel to the first part. about four and one-halfinches, then'directly downward for aninch and a l1`alf, to the end, c, the two end port-ions` m and n lying in horizontal planes about one'incheipart. This' shape admits of their being placed very close together, and allows of suiiicient motion to open the valves without coming in contact at any point vwith each other. The coupler C is attached to the instrument between the key and reed-boards at'thc angle z, a place being cut into the wood to admit each wire, and it is-sccured by a small strip of wood placed above, which is fastened downby screws. The opening is sniiciently large to allow of some motion to the coupler, and is line'd with flannel, in the usual manner, to prevent any noise. The end, c, rests loosely in a slot formed by placing a strip of wood to the back of thecoupler-bearing, at lSuch distance as will allow the wire to enter freely, and in which it is freeto move up and down when acted upon 'by thepcoupling-lcver D. When placed in this position, they lie onejust under each of the keys B, but at 4such. distance that they will not be acted on by the said key when not in use,`and extend over the space of thirteen keys, so that, when desired, any key may be connected or coupled with that key which is an octave above. On the under side of' cach key, at a proper place to act upon' the coupler C, is secured a piece of wood, I, with a head or bolster, as shown in g; 2, and when the end, c, of the coupler is raised up by the llcverlD, the two are brought in contact, so that as the key B isi-pressed downward, it opens itsproper valve by the tracker-pin In, and, by the coupler, the valve of that key an octave above. The coupler is connected with the tracker-pin of this octave by the collar or ring d, of wood or leather, which is glued to the tracker-pin at the proper' place, and on 'which the end, a, of the coupler presses when acted on by its proper key, the tracke'rfpin being passed upwards through the holo in the end, a, as shown in figures, A small screw is placed in the key D under the head ofthe piece I, by means of which said piece may be adjusted by turning the screw out or in, as may be necessary, when the head of the piece I may have been worn by use. The lever D passes under the couplers, and is hinged vto the'upper side of the coupler-bearing, and can be turned up or down, at thc pleasure of the performer, by means of a stop in the usual manner. As it is turned up itraises all the couplers from the seat F, so that theyjust touch the keys above them at the points e e, and no matter how slight-ly any of the keys be depressed, the motion is instantly imparted to the key an octave above, while'from thc shape of thc coupler, and manner of connection, no key below can be affected, as, should the coupler be depressed by any key at the end, a', although the part m would fall with it, yet the key in connection with it would not be'affectcd, as it rests upon its tracker-pin, which is kept in its place by the valve-spring s.

It is evident'that'the particular shape and form in which the coupler-rod is bent, und the purtjcular mde of applying it may be varicd,' without changing the character ofthe invention; and therefore claim as nen'- A simple lever-coupling:r formed from a. single rod bent and applied substantially in the manner shown and described.v l

R. W. CARPENTER. Witnesses HORACE O. HEDG'E, H. R. M'ooRE. 

